dystopian
A dystopia (lit. "bad place") is an imagined world or society in which people lead wretched, dehumanized, fearful lives. It is an imagined place (possibly state) in which everything is unpleasant or bad, typically a totalitarian or environmenta ...
drama
Drama is the specific Mode (literature), mode of fiction Mimesis, represented in performance: a Play (theatre), play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on Radio drama, radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a g ...
miniseries
In the United States, a miniseries or mini-series is a television show or series that tells a story in a predetermined, limited number of episodes. Many miniseries can also be referred to, and shown, as a television film. " Limited series" is ...
created by
Ori Elon
Ori Elon (; born 1981) is an Israeli writer and filmmaker.
Early life
Elon was born in kibbutz Shluhot, Israel, and had an Orthodox Jewish upbringing. He graduated from the Ma'aleh School of Television, Film and the Arts in Jerusalem.
Career
...
and
Yehonatan Indursky
Yehonatan Indursky (; born 1984) is an Israeli filmmaker and the creator of the successful Netflix series Shtisel.
Career
Yehonatan Indursky was born in Jerusalem, to an ultra-Orthodox Jewish (Haredi Jewish) family and studied at the Ultra Or ...
. The story is set in an alternate reality of present day Israel, a nation torn and divided by a wall into the secular “State of Israel”, with
Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv-Yafo ( or , ; ), sometimes rendered as Tel Aviv-Jaffa, and usually referred to as just Tel Aviv, is the most populous city in the Gush Dan metropolitan area of Israel. Located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline and with a popula ...
as its capital, and the “
Haredi
Haredi Judaism (, ) is a branch of Orthodox Judaism that is characterized by its strict interpretation of religious sources and its accepted (Jewish law) and traditions, in opposition to more accommodating values and practices. Its members are ...
Autonomy” in
Jerusalem
Jerusalem is a city in the Southern Levant, on a plateau in the Judaean Mountains between the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean and the Dead Sea. It is one of the List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest cities in the world, and ...
, run by a
Haredi
Haredi Judaism (, ) is a branch of Orthodox Judaism that is characterized by its strict interpretation of religious sources and its accepted (Jewish law) and traditions, in opposition to more accommodating values and practices. Its members are ...
religious group. The series stars
Assi Cohen
Assi Cohen (; born 10 October 1974) is an Israeli comedian and actor. He is best known for his appearances in the feature film '' Colombian Love'' (alongside Mili Avital), as well as for television performances in ''Love Hurts'' (alongside Dana M ...
,
Rotem Sela
Rotem Sela (; born 16 August 1983) is an Israeli model, television presenter, and actress; best known for starring as Noa Hollander on the Israeli television series ''Beauty and the Baker'' (2013–2021) and as co-host of the singing reality sh ...
and
Shuli Rand
Shalom "Shuli" Rand (also spelled Shuly; ; born 8 February 1962) is an Israeli film actor, writer, and singer. He is a Breslover Hasid and is best known in the English-speaking world for his role as the protagonist in ''Ushpizin'' (2004), for w ...
Hot 3
Hot 3 (styled as HOT3; ; also available in HD as HOT3 HD) is an Israeli television channel of the cable television company HOT.Festival Séries Mania in
France
France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
. The series was also the centrepiece of the
New York Jewish Film Festival
The New York Jewish Film Festival (NYJFF) is an annual festival in New York City that features a wide array of international films exploring themes related to the Jewish experience. The Jewish Museum and The Film Society of Lincoln Center work in ...
in January 2019.
Plot summary
The series is set in an alternative reality in which the State of Israel is split into two territories, a secular state with its capital in
Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv-Yafo ( or , ; ), sometimes rendered as Tel Aviv-Jaffa, and usually referred to as just Tel Aviv, is the most populous city in the Gush Dan metropolitan area of Israel. Located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline and with a popula ...
, and a Haredi autonomy with
Jerusalem
Jerusalem is a city in the Southern Levant, on a plateau in the Judaean Mountains between the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean and the Dead Sea. It is one of the List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest cities in the world, and ...
as its capital. The series takes place in a parallel present, about thirty years after the bloody events of 1989, which ultimately led to the establishment of a Haredi federation in Jerusalem where
Jewish law
''Halakha'' ( ; , ), also transliterated as ''halacha'', ''halakhah'', and ''halocho'' ( ), is the collective body of Jewish religious laws that are derived from the Written and Oral Torah. ''Halakha'' is based on biblical commandments ('' mit ...
reigns. However,
Bnei Brak
Bnei Brak ( ) or Bene Beraq, is a city located on the central Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean Israeli coastal plain, coastal plain in Israel, just east of Tel Aviv. A center of Haredi Judaism, Bnei Brak covers an area of 709 hectares (1,752 acre ...
became a suburb of secular Tel Aviv. In order to move between the two entities, permits and border controls are necessary The local economy in the Haredi autonomy is facing difficulties. In addition, the government is governed by Jewish law and its Haredi interpretation, which includes a prohibition on selling non-
kosher
(also or , ) is a set of dietary laws dealing with the foods that Jewish people are permitted to eat and how those foods must be prepared according to Jewish law. Food that may be consumed is deemed kosher ( in English, ), from the Ashke ...
food. The police in the autonomy are known as "guards" and they are dressed in a kind of Hasidic coats on which the ranks and symbols of the state are placed. They are tasked with maintaining order and the laws of religion and modesty in the autonomy.
At the center of the plot is a Haredi "macher" named Broide (
Assi Cohen
Assi Cohen (; born 10 October 1974) is an Israeli comedian and actor. He is best known for his appearances in the feature film '' Colombian Love'' (alongside Mili Avital), as well as for television performances in ''Love Hurts'' (alongside Dana M ...
), who makes his living from smuggling minor contraband between the secular State of Israel and the Haredi autonomy. Goni, a girl raised by the secular couple Batia (
Dana Ivgy
Dana Ivgy (; born April 3, 1982) is an Israeli actress and the daughter of actor Moshe Ivgy.
Career
As a child, Ivgy appeared in several television and film productions. Since graduating from acting school she has appeared in several critically a ...
) and Asher Luzzatto (Jacob Zada Daniel), turns out to be the daughter of Elka (Tali Sharon) and Hilik Rein (Dan Castoriano), the daughter and son-in-law of the Rebbe of Kreinitz (
Shuli Rand
Shalom "Shuli" Rand (also spelled Shuly; ; born 8 February 1962) is an Israeli film actor, writer, and singer. He is a Breslover Hasid and is best known in the English-speaking world for his role as the protagonist in ''Ushpizin'' (2004), for w ...
).
Broide gets an offer from the Rebbe, who also receives smuggled books from him, in which he is required to kidnap the girl who is at the centre of a legal battle over custody between the two Haredi and secular families. When he refuses to accept the offer, he is coerced by the Rebbe and his henchmen into accepting. In the end, he agrees to do so only after he's arrested on murder charges and the Rebbe gives him the opportunity to accept the task and thus not need to stand trial. Demanding that the Rebbe make a commitment to take care of his family in the event that he's harmed and to grant him a divorce from his wife, Blumi (
Rotem Sela
Rotem Sela (; born 16 August 1983) is an Israeli model, television presenter, and actress; best known for starring as Noa Hollander on the Israeli television series ''Beauty and the Baker'' (2013–2021) and as co-host of the singing reality sh ...
), the Rebbe accepted his terms. Broide goes on a mission and together with Anna, a woman from the secular State of Israel, they kidnap the girl and smuggle her to Ukraine while on the journey, Broida cuts off his beard and wigs and plans to start a new life in Europe with Anna.
During the events Elka accuses her father of organizing the kidnapping for political purposes to scorch the proposal of a union between the religious autonomy and the secular State of Israel. Independently of her father, she cooperates with Batia, which leads to criticism of her father which causes the Rebbe's health to deteriorate and to return to his community in the town of Kreinitz in Europe. This is where he also plans to reunite the kidnapped girl with her biological parents, but after his daughter tells the media that she is renouncing her claim to her daughter, he demands the return the child to her adoptive parents. The two parents leave for Europe to take the child back from the kidnappers. The girl gets away from her abductors, Broide and Anna. She is reunited at the local police station with both her adoptive and biological parents, where the adoptive parents then take her home with them.
In the meantime, the Rebbe dies, and Broide and Anna continue on a journey into Europe without the child. They are involved in a fatal train accident in which Anna dies and Broide is seriously injured. The body of a dead passenger is mistakenly identified as the body of Broide, and a message is transmitted to his ex-wife, who is married to Brody's friend Leibish. Broide struggles with his demons and meets the late Rebbe in a vision and responds to his request for absolution. Then he wakes up and returns to the Haredi autonomy. Upon returning he realizes that his ex-wife has remarried. He enters a
Beit Midrash
A ''beth midrash'' (, "house of learning"; : ''batei midrash''), also ''beis medrash'' or ''beit midrash'', is a hall dedicated for Torah study, often translated as a "study hall". It is distinct from a synagogue (''beth knesseth''), although ...
of a yeshiva and finds himself in a struggle between those who refuse to join the army and the
Israeli Defence Force
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF; , ), alternatively referred to by the Hebrew-language acronym (), is the national military of the State of Israel. It consists of three service branches: the Israeli Ground Forces, the Israeli Air Force, an ...
who are in the autonomy as part of the plan to annex the autonomy to the secular State of Israel. He becomes a conscientious objector and martyrs himself in opposition to the draft of Haredi men.
Cast and characters
* Broide (
Assi Cohen
Assi Cohen (; born 10 October 1974) is an Israeli comedian and actor. He is best known for his appearances in the feature film '' Colombian Love'' (alongside Mili Avital), as well as for television performances in ''Love Hurts'' (alongside Dana M ...
) - works in a Haredi community and smuggles objects from the secular state to the Haredim. He is married to Blumi (Sela) with whom he has children but develops an extra-marital affair with Anna Blum (whom he calls "Hannah"). The Rebbe of Kreinitz assigns him the task of returning the Rebbe's granddaughter from the State of Israel to the Haredi autonomy. He is forced to agree after the other choice for him is to stand trial for the (accidental) murder of Bevchik. He goes on a kidnapping mission to Ukraine during which he undergoes a deep process of internal identity struggles. At the end of the series, he sets himself on fire as a protest against the enlistment of Haredim into the IDF.
* Blumi Broide (
Rotem Sela
Rotem Sela (; born 16 August 1983) is an Israeli model, television presenter, and actress; best known for starring as Noa Hollander on the Israeli television series ''Beauty and the Baker'' (2013–2021) and as co-host of the singing reality sh ...
) - Yona's wife. She supports her husband but after pressure from the police on her and her children she begins to oppose his activities. Yona grants her a divorce, enabling her to marry Leibish.
*The Rebbe of Kreinitz (
Shuli Rand
Shalom "Shuli" Rand (also spelled Shuly; ; born 8 February 1962) is an Israeli film actor, writer, and singer. He is a Breslover Hasid and is best known in the English-speaking world for his role as the protagonist in ''Ushpizin'' (2004), for w ...
) - leader of the Haredi Autonomy. After learning about the fate of his granddaughter being raised by a secular couple in the State of Israel, he embarks on an uncompromising struggle to return the child to her parents and for this reason he also puts pressure on Yona Broide (Cohen) to return the child to the autonomy. In retrospect, it appears that he apparently did so in order to influence the Council of Sages to reject the proposal for unification with the State of Israel. After the procedure failed, his medical condition deteriorates and after a few days he dies. After his death, Broide sees him in a vision / dream, where he asks forgiveness for everything that happened between them.
*Anna Blum (
Daniella Kertesz
Daniella Kertesz (; born ) is an Israeli actress. She played Segen in the film ''World War Z'', and starred as Onie in the psychological thriller film '' AfterDeath''. She played a starring role as Racheli Warburg in Season 3 of the internationa ...
) - a
Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv-Yafo ( or , ; ), sometimes rendered as Tel Aviv-Jaffa, and usually referred to as just Tel Aviv, is the most populous city in the Gush Dan metropolitan area of Israel. Located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline and with a popula ...
jazz artist who develops a relationship with Broide after burying Gabriel, her partner who died of liver cancer. She helps Yona with his kidnapping mission. In the end, she is killed in a train accident in Ukraine.
*Batia Luzzatto (
Dana Ivgy
Dana Ivgy (; born April 3, 1982) is an Israeli actress and the daughter of actor Moshe Ivgy.
Career
As a child, Ivgy appeared in several television and film productions. Since graduating from acting school she has appeared in several critically a ...
) - Goni's
French
French may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France
** French people, a nation and ethnic group
** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices
Arts and media
* The French (band), ...
adoptive mother, married to Asher with whom she is in the process of divorcing. The struggle to maintain custody of their child brings them together.
*Asher Luzzatto (Jacob Zada Daniel) - the adopted French father of Goni, who is married to Batya and is in the process of divorcing her.
*Goni Luzzatto (Nir-Nur) - the biological daughter of the Reins and the granddaughter of the Rebbe of Kreinitz. After her birth, she was swapped without the knowledge of her parents in the hospital with Batya's original baby, who died, and she grew up in the home of the French couple in Tel Aviv. While her parents are about to divorce, the Raines' family demand that the child returns to the autonomy to be raised by her religious biological parents. Ultimately she stays with her adoptive parents.
* Elka Rein (Tali Sharon) - daughter of the Rebbe of Kreinitz and wife of Hilik. Her daughter was switched at birth with Asher and Batia's dead baby and she is determined to get her back. Later she gives up her fight, for the good of the child.
* Yechiel "Hilik" Rein (Dan Castoriano) - Elka's husband, son-in-law and disciple of the Rebbe Makrinitz, who listens more to him than to his wife.
Reception
An acclaimed series in its country of origin,
Israel
Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...
, ''
The Jerusalem Post
''The Jerusalem Post'' is an English language, English-language Israeli broadsheet newspaper based in Jerusalem, Israel, founded in 1932 during the Mandate for Palestine, British Mandate of Mandatory Palestine, Palestine by Gershon Agron as ''Th ...
'' described the show as darker than ''
Shtisel
''Shtisel'' () is an Israeli television drama series about a fictional Ashkenazi orthodox family living in Geula, Jerusalem. Created and written by Ori Elon and Yehonatan Indursky, the series premiered on 29 June 2013 on yes Oh. It commenced ...
'', the previous TV collaboration of Elon and Indursky, concluding that "Autonomies is a disturbing, thought-provoking and alarming look at a world that never was.” A ''
Haaretz
''Haaretz'' (; originally ''Ḥadshot Haaretz'' – , , ) is an List of newspapers in Israel, Israeli newspaper. It was founded in 1918, making it the longest running newspaper currently in print in Israel. The paper is published in Hebrew lan ...
'' writer was so intrigued by the concept of the show, suggesting it as a political point of discourse in Israel “I do not claim that Israel’s cantonization would solve all of the country’s problems. But “Autonomies” shows that it could lead to the point where Israel’s various cultures could begin to appreciate each other’s beauty rather than feeling mutually threatened.” '' Tablet'' compared the series favourably to ''
Fauda
''Fauda'' (, from ''fawḍā'', meaning "chaos" or "mess") is an Israeli television series developed by Lior Raz and Avi Issacharoff drawing on their experiences in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). It tells the story of Doron, a commander in ...
'' and described it as “suspenseful.”
U.S. adaptation
Keshet International
Keshet International is the global production and distribution arm of Israeli media company Keshet Media Group (). Keshet International was established in 2012 and is now led by CEO Keren Shahar, who was appointed to the role at the start of 2023 ...
is in the early planning stages of an English-language adaptation of the format, set in the United States and using America’s own blue state-red state divide as a substitute for the original Israeli plot.Keshet Brings Dystopian Drama ‘Autonomies’ to Mipcom Variety. 11 October 2018
Keshet International
Keshet International is the global production and distribution arm of Israeli media company Keshet Media Group (). Keshet International was established in 2012 and is now led by CEO Keren Shahar, who was appointed to the role at the start of 2023 ...